Micro-nutrient composition and end-user acceptable quality in potato in Ethiopia

Micronutrient deficiencies in diets, including iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), are an important public health problem across population in Ethiopia. Potato is a modest source of dietary nutrients. The purpose of this study was to assess the mineral (Fe & Zn) composition of potato germplasm in Ethiopia and grower's willingness to try new potato types. The Fe and Zn contents were assessed in peeled tubers of popular farmer varieties, and newly introduced Andean diploid group Phureja accessions and improved tetraploid clones grown in multi-location trials. Grower's preferences for the new potato types was assessed using a participatory approach. Significant variations in mineral and tuber yield traits exist among the germplasm assessed and broad-sense heritability appears to be high for most traits measured, suggesting that progress through breeding can be made among these materials. However, the slightly negative correlation of tuber yield with Fe and Zn content and user appreciation traits found in this study suggests that progress in improving crops for yield and enhanced Fe and Zn concentrations with end-user acceptable quality will be challenging. The results from this study provide baseline information on Fe and Zn composition of many popular farmer varieties in Ethiopia and end-user preference criteria for evaluating new potato varieties that would help to orient the biofortification breeding to the conditions and preference of farmers.     

Irrigation and Zn fertilizer management improves Zn phyto‐availability in various rice production systems

Zinc (Zn) is an important micronutrient for rice (Oryza sativa L.) production and its deficiency has been observed in various production systems. High grain Zn concentration is equally important for high rice yield and human health. In this work, the effects of Zn fertilization on seedling growth, grain yield, grain Zn concentration, and their association with root traits were studied under alternate wetting and drying (AWD), aerobic rice (AR), system of rice intensification (SRI), and continuous flooding (CF). Zinc fertilization (15 kg ha^?1) improved nursery seedlings chlorophyll and Zn concentrations, root length, and number of roots with highest values observed in CF. At harvesting, maximum plant height, panicle length, total and panicle bearing tillers, and kernel yield were found with Zn addition in AWD and CF rice systems. Mid season drainage provided at maximum tillering and Zn fertilization increased its concentration in leaves, culms, panicles, and grains under CF and AR at physiological maturity. Most of Zn applied was allocated into culms and panicles, nevertheless, a significant increase in grain Zn concentration was also observed in all production systems. Association of leaf Zn with grain Zn concentration was stronger than with culm and panicle Zn. The results indicate that Zn application after rice nursery transplanting is more important for grain Zn enrichment in all rice systems than for increase in grain yield in all systems except AWD where grain yield was also increased. More grain yield in CF and AWD as compared to SRI and AR can also be attributed to decreased spikelet sterility and to better Zn phyto‐availability in these rice systems at physiological maturity.     

QTL Analysis for Grain Iron and Zinc Concentrations in Two O. nivara Derived Backcross Populations

Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for grain mineral elements can assist in faster and more precise development of micronutrient dense rice varieties through marker-assisted breeding. In the present study, QTLs were mapped for Fe and Zn concentrations in two BC₂F₃ mapping populations derived from the crosses of O. sativa cv Swarna with two different accessions of O. nivara. In all, 10 and 8 QTLs were identified for grain Fe and Zn concentrations in population 1, and 7 and 5 QTLs were identified in population 2, respectively. Eighty percent of the QTLs detected in both populations were derived from O. nivara. Five QTLs for Fe and three QTLs for Zn explained more than 15% phenotypic variance either in interval or composite interval mapping. The locations of O. nivara derived QTLs such as qFe2.1, qFe3.1, qFe8.2 and qZn12.1 were consistently identified in both the populations. Epistatic interaction was observed only between RM106 and RM6 on chromosome 2 and between RM22 and RM7 on chromosome 3 for Fe concentration in population 1. Sixteen candidate genes for metal homeostasis were found to co-locate with 10 QTLs for Fe and Zn concentrations in both the populations. Most of the Fe and Zn QTLs were found to co-locate with QTLs for grain yield and grain quality traits. Some of the major effect QTLs identified can be used to improve rice grain Fe and Zn concentrations.     

硒锌和富啡酸配施对紫花苜蓿叶片抗氧化酶活性及产量的影响

在氮磷钾供应充分情况下,采用大田小区试验方法,通过播前基施硒（Se）、锌（Zn）微肥和腐殖酸（富啡酸,fulvic acid,FA）,设对照（CK,不施肥）、施氮磷钾（NPK）、增施富啡酸（NPK+FA）、增施锌、硒微肥（NPK+Zn+Se）、增施富啡酸和锌、硒微肥（NPK+FA+Zn+Se）等5个不同施肥处理,在严重缺硒和锌石灰性土壤中,研究了硒锌和富啡酸配施对紫花苜蓿叶片内过氧化物酶（POD）、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）等抗氧化酶活性、游离脯氨酸（Pro）及丙二醛（MDA）和干草产量的影响。结果表明：两茬中叶片过氧化物酶（POD）活性均以NPK+FA处理最高,其次是NPK+FA+Zn+Se处理,说明富啡酸（FA）比微肥（Se+Zn）更能有效提高紫花苜蓿叶片过氧化物酶活性,而硒锌对其活性影响不显著;硒锌与富啡酸配施可显著提高紫花苜蓿叶片内游离脯氨酸（Pro）含量、过氧化氢酶（CAT）及超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性,从而显著提高紫花苜蓿抗氧化能力;但各施肥处理对丙二醛（MDA）无显著影响。施肥可显著提高紫花苜蓿产量,施用富啡酸比硒锌微肥的增产效果更明显,且硒锌与富啡酸配施效果最好。因此,在氮磷钾供应充足条件下,适量硒锌微肥或富啡酸均能显著提高紫花苜蓿的抗氧化能力及提高紫花苜蓿产量,且微肥和富啡酸配施效果最好。     

Interactive effects of coffee bean supplementation and waterborne zinc toxicity on growth performance,biochemical variables,antioxidant activity and zinc bioaccumulation in whole body of common carp,Cyprinus carpio L.

Roasted coffee powder (RCP; Coffea arabica) is usually used as a beverage for human but there are few attempts to use it as a natural feed supplement in fish diets. In this study, common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., (11.8 ± 0.09 g) were reared in zinc (Zn)‐containing water at concentrations of 0.0 or 5.0 mg/L and cosupplemented with 0.0 or 1.0 g RCP/kg diet for 6 weeks to investigate effects of RCP supplementation, Zn exposure and their interaction on fish performance, biochemical variables, antioxidant activity and Zn bioaccumulation in whole fish body. Fish growth and feed intake were significantly affected by RCP supplementation, Zn toxicity and their interaction. However, fish fed a RCP‐supplemented diet did not exhibit better performance than those fed the RCP‐free diet and both diets produced higher fish performance than the Zn‐toxicated fish. It is noticed that RCP supplementation to Zn‐toxicated fish enhanced their growth, and feed utilization as compared to Zn‐toxicated fish alone. Fish fed control and RCP‐enriched diets showed no significant differences in biochemical variables, which were significantly altered due to waterborne Zn toxicity. Moreover, Zn reduced significantly; meanwhile, RCP supplementation increased significantly superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Notably, Zn exposure could reduce fish growth and antioxidant activity and increase Zn deposition in whole fish body. And RCP intake could enhance the antioxidant activity exerting a protective effect against Zn toxicity, thereby reducing Zn bioaccumulation in whole fish body.     

稻壳生物炭对矿区重金属复合污染土壤中Cd、Zn形态转化的影响

明确稻壳生物炭的农业生态效应对合理利用其修复矿区重金属复合污染土壤具有重要意义。通过盆栽试验,研究了稻壳生物炭不同施用量(0、5、10、20、50、100 g·kg~(-1))对重金属复合污染土壤p H、CEC和Cd、Zn赋存形态转化的影响。结果表明:与对照相比,稻壳生物炭的添加使土壤p H升高0.18~0.29个单位,CEC提高32.89%(5.68 cmol·kg~(-1));同时,重金属复合污染土壤中弱酸提取态Cd、Zn分别降低21.88%、19.63%,氧化态Cd、Zn分别降低24.12%、18.62%,可还原态Cd、Zn分别降低13.72%、8.97%;而使残渣态Cd、Zn分别升高115.56%、39.45%。综上所述,稻壳生物炭的添加提高了矿区重金属复合污染土壤的p H和CEC,促进了重金属复合污染土壤中Cd、Zn的弱酸提取态、可氧化态和可还原态向化学性质稳定的残渣态转化,降低了土壤重金属的有效性,实现了对重金属复合污染土壤的修复。     

毛细管离子分析法测定茶叶中的锌、锰、铜、铅和镉

用毛细管离子分析(CIA)法测定了茶叶中的锌、锰、铜、铅和镉,在10mmol/L咪唑,10mmol/Lα-羟基乙酸,pH=4.0的电泳介质中,五种离子在10min内得到了分离,用间接紫外法检测,以外标法定量,五元素的线性关系良好,相关系数为0.9973~0.9997,平均回收率在96.4%~104.2%之间,相对平均偏差为2.1%~3.3%,检测限为0.02~0.2μg/ml。此方法快速简便、准确度高、测定成本低。     

Zinc fertilization of lentil for grain yield and grain zinc concentration in ten Saskatchewan soils

Fertilization of grain legumes with zinc (Zn) can affect both marketable yield and Zn content of the grain, which is important in addressing human nutritional deficiencies in certain regions of the world. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the response of three different market classes of lentil to Zn fertilization using ten surface soils from Saskatchewan (Canada). The distribution of Zn among labile and stable fractions chemically separated from the soil was also determined in the ten prairie soils and related to the lentil responses observed. The three market classes of lentils (large and small green, small red) were grown without Zn (control), and with 2.5 and 5 kg Zn ha^?1 added as zinc sulfate to each soil prior to planting. Zinc fertilizer application significantly influenced grain yield and was soil dependent. A significant increase in grain yield over the control was observed from application of Zn on some low organic matter, high pH Brown Chernozem soils whereas a decrease in grain yield over control was observed in other soils such as a Black Chernozem of high organic matter content and low (<7) pH. Lack of positive yield response to addition of Zn were related to measured high diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable and plant root simulator (PRS) resin membrane probe Zn, and large amounts of native Zn in exchangeable and iron/manganese (Fe/Mn) oxide bound fractions. Application of Zn fertilizer generally increased the grain concentration of Zn. For example, an increase of ～20% in Zn concentration over control was observed when 5 kg Zn ha^?1 was added to a loamy textured low organic matter Brown Chernozem soil. Overall, small green lentil was more consistent in producing a positive response to Zn fertilizer application on soils with low plant available Zn compared to large green lentil and small red lentil.     

Influence of green manuring with Sesbania rostrata and Aeschynomene afraspera or urea on dynamics and uptake of nutrients by wetland rice

Nutrient concentrations in the soil and crop uptake from incorporated green manure and urea in flooded rice was studied in field experiments. Release of plant-available nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺-N) from green manure was slightly delayed compared with that from prilled urea (PU) because Sesbania rostrata L. and Aeschynomene afraspera L. released the N gradually after their decomposition, whereas N became available immediately after PU application. Exchangeable NH₄ ⁺-N concentration in soil peaked at 163 mg kg^–1 in the transplanted rice (TPR) and 198 mg kg^—1 in broadcast-seeded rice (BSR) at 0 and 1 week after PU application. Broadcast-seeded rice depleted NH₄ ⁺-N faster than did TPR because of the crop‘s vigorous growth in the former during the early stage. Soil solution NH₄ ⁺-N followed a similar trend to that of soil NH₄ ⁺-N. Incorporation of S. rostrata and A. afraspera increased the concentration of P, K⁺, Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ in soil solution more than did the application of PU. However, zinc concentration decreased in all treatments. Both PU and green manure increased the N status of the rice plants and enhanced the uptake of P, K, Fe, Mn and Zn by the rice crop. This suggests that application of green manures improves the uptake of these nutrients by the crop. The highest apparent N recovery was obtained with PU followed by green manure. Received: 11 November 1996